Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

I G. J. FERGUSON.

- .v GAR COUPLING. No 351,756. Patented Nov. 2; 1886.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

BY v M I I ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

G.J.FERGUSON.

OAR COUPLING.

' No. 351,756. Patented Nov. 2, 1886.

III

INVENTOR ATTORNE WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J ONES FERGUSON, OF GREENVILLE, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,756, datedNovember' 1886.

Application filed January 20, 1886. Serial No. 189,233. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, GEORGE J ONES FERGU- soN, a subject of the Crown ofGreat Britain, residing at Greenville, in the county of Hunt and Stateof Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car Couplings,of which the following is a description.

vFigures 1 and 2 are side views of the coup ling applied to the end of acar, showing two different positions of. the coupling devices. Figs. 3and 4 are vertical longitudinal sections of the draw-head, showing thetwo positions, Fig. 3 showing the same position as Fig. 2, and Fig. 4the same position as Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents details; Fig. 6, anunderneath view of the car-frame and continuous drawbar. Figs. 7, 8, and9 are detail views of modified forms of the continuous draw-bar.

My invention relates to automatic car-couphugs; and it consists inimprovements in the coupling devices, in the uncoupling devices, and ina peculiar construction and arrangement of a continuous draw-bar, ashereinafter described.

In the drawings, A represents the draw-bar, whose mouth tapers at thefront and sides and is lower at the rear than it is in front. In avertical channel in the draw-baris arranged an h shaped coupling, U,whose position when coupled is shown in Fig. 4, and whose position whenuncoupled and set for coupling is shown in Fig. 3. This coupling isinserted into the draw-head from the top, and is lifted to the couplingposition by lift-arm V, and turns backward as it is lifted by theengagement of a hook on its rear side with a stop or abutment, X, in thedraw-bar. When set for coupling, as in Fig. 3, the lower end of the rearbranch of the coupling rests upon a horizontal cross-bolt, Y, and whenin this position the entering link strikes the rear branch of thecoupling and, throwing it off the bolt Y,

forces its front branch down and through the link and couples itpositively.

The construction so far described does not differ materially from thatshown and claimed in my previous application, Serial No. 178, 947, filedSeptember 7, 1885.- The supporting-bolt Y for the coupling I utilize asa point of attachment for the continuous draw-rods hereinafterdescribed. The lift-arm V is also slightly changed in shape, as shown,and the mouth of outside the draw-bar is secured a triangularlybentiron,O. A chain, D, connects the apex of iron 0 to lever E by staple G.

F is a gravity ball or weight arranged on an arm on the same shaft, P,with lever E, and which ball holds the lift-arm V up when the ball ismoved forward and toward the end of car, and the coupler U open and setnot to couple until the ball is moved back toward the center of car.

H is a bracket in which shaft P is journaled.

K is a rod and chain that extends to the top of car and connectsgravity-lever L with the angleiiron G of lift-arm V.

M is a bracket and sheave, and L is a gravity lever and ball foruncoupling from the roof of car.

S is the buffer-block or dead-wood,and T is the buffer-spring.

W is a triangular plate on shaft P, which bears with one of its facesagainst 'a spring, W, and tends to hold the shaft and weight morecertainly to either of its two positions in case of shock.

B B, Fig. 6, are draft-bars, which are secured to the draw-head on eachside by bolt Y, and having hooked or enlarged ends a, Figs. 1 and 2,that pass around lugs b on the sides of the draw-head, so that thestrain of pulling does not all'come upon the bolt Y, and so that if thedraw-head becomes broken the car can still be pulled by the draft-barsB, the said bars being so arranged that they cannot be broken by beingpushed back. These draft-bars pass in parallel position with the timbersI I through For taking up slack in this rod, a swivel-nut, G, isinterposed, connecting its two ends.

C is a stirrup-shaped metal bar, which extends around the timbers I I,and supports the draw-bar, which latter is slotted or recessed at P adistance equal to the play of the drawbar, and the shoulders of whichrecess serve to catch against the stirrup-shaped iron and prevent thedraw-bar from being pulled out in case its other connect-ion breaks.

To the dra\\'-bar,and in parallel position beneath it, is fastened barL, which passes through a guide-hole in casting I and assists in guidingthe draw-bar. The rearend of the draw-bar is reduced to a round bar,that passes through the casting 1, and has a nut behind it with enoughslack to allow for the play of the draw-head, and, if all otherconnections should break, this bar would hold the drawhead in place,while in front of said casting, and between it and the larger part ofthe draw-bar, is a second bufferspring, S, that operates in conjunctionwith the front bufferspring behind the draw-head.

In place of spring E and the bar F, I may arrange these parts as shownin Figs. 7, S, and 9.

Z is a link to be used when the draw-head breaks outside of thedraft-timbers.

Q, Figs. 3 and 4, is a narrow vertical slot that will admit link Zedgewise, and farther back the opening increases in width, so that thelink can be turned fiat, and the lugs on .the link will engage withsides of slot Q and form a tongue-link for the next car.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. Thecombination,with.the draw-head and the coupling U, of the horizontalbolt Y, forming a support for the coupling when raised and tilted, andthe independent outside draft-bars, B B, secured to the draw-head by theextension of the bolt Y through the same, substantially as described.

2. The combinatiomwith thedraw-head and the horizontal bolt Y, of theindependent outside draft-rods secured by said bolt, and having anenlarged or hooked projection bearing against lugs on the draw-bar foradditional strength of connection, as described.

3. The combination, with the draw-head, its coupling U, and the lift-armV, of the bent angle-shaped iron 0, the chain D, lever-arm l with stapleG, the ball and arm F, the rod and chain K, the sheave M, and theweighted arm u L at the top, forming an uncouplinggear, as described.

4. The combinatiomwith the drawhead and its coupling U and the lift-armV, of the bent angle-iron G, chain D, lever-arm E, with staple G,ball-arm F,rod and chain K, sheave M. and weighted arm L, and theangle-plate \V on the same shaft with the arm E, and the spring \V,bearing against said angle-plate, as described.

5. The combination of the draw-heads at the opposite ends of a car, theoutside draftbars, B B, secured to said draw-heads and extending towardthe middle of the car, and connections between the saiddraft-bars,forming a continuous draft-bar, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the timbers I and J of the car, and thespringseated draw-bars, of the stirrup-shaped iron the abutment andguide block or casting I, the draft-rods B B, the turn-plate J, thecontinuous rod F, connected to rods 13 B by plate and spring, and havingscrew-link G, for adjusting the slack, substantially as shown anddescribed.

T. The combination, with the timbers I I, of spring-seated draw-barhaving recess 1 the stirrup-shaped supporting-iron O, the guidebar L,and the abutment and guide-block or casting I, arranged between timbersI I, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE JONES FERGUSON. Vi tn esses:

\V. 1?. TIME, I. E. GoULn,

